Lockable socket insert, insert tool and insert lock and method of making and using the same

Abstract

A lockable socket insert and insert lock comprises: a lockable socket insert comprising an insert axis, a cylindrical tool body comprising an free end, a shaft end, and a tool bore extending inwardly from the free end, and a cylindrical key shaft attached to the shaft end comprising a length, a shaft surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced key members disposed along the length and protruding radially outwardly away from the shaft surface, the cylindrical tool body, tool bore, and cylindrical key shaft concentric about the insert axis; and a cylindrical insert lock comprising an outer end configured for disposition toward the fastener pocket, a drive pocket end configured for disposition toward the drive pocket, an outer surface, and a keyway opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock, comprising:
 a tool/lockable socket insert assembly including a socket insert having an insert axis, a cylindrical tool body comprising a free end, a shaft end, and a tool bore extending inwardly from the free end, and a cylindrical key shaft attached to the shaft end comprising a length, a shaft surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced key members disposed along a portion of the length and protruding radially outwardly away from the shaft surface, the cylindrical tool body, tool bore, and cylindrical key shaft concentric about the insert axis, the tool/lockable socket insert assembly also including a socket tool having a regular polygon-shaped tool body and attached to the socket insert; 
 a cylindrical insert lock comprising an outer end configured for disposition toward a fastener pocket, a drive pocket end configured for disposition toward a drive pocket, an outer surface, and a keyway opening; and 
 a socket including a regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket structured to receive the socket tool body therein in a slidable nested mating engagement, 
 wherein the socket insert is rotatable so that the key members of the plurality of key members are insertable into the keyway opening, and wherein the socket tool is attached to the socket insert such that the socket tool body is not insertable into the fastener pocket when the key members are rotated so as to be insertable into the keyway opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 1 , further comprising a socket comprising a socket axis, a fastener end, a drive end including the drive pocket, wherein the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket has a pocket center disposed on the socket axis and comprising a plurality of flat pocket sides and a corresponding plurality of angular pocket corners extending from the fastener end to a base, and a socket bore that extends from the base to the drive pocket, the cylindrical insert lock configured for disposition in the socket bore with the outer surface in an interference condition in the socket bore with the drive pocket end located at a predetermined depth from the base, the cylindrical tool body configured for insertion into the polygonal-shaped fastener pocket and engagement in the socket bore, the cylindrical key shaft and circumferentially spaced key members configured for slidable mating engagement as a key in the keyway opening. 
     
     
       3. The tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 2 , wherein the tool body includes an outward end, an inward end, a plurality of flat tool sides, a corresponding plurality of angular tool corners, and a tool disposed on the socket tool outward end, and wherein the-attachment shaft is disposed on the inward end. 
     
     
       4. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , wherein the tool bore comprises a threaded bore and the socket tool includes a threaded attachment shaft configured for fixed engagement in the threaded bore. 
     
     
       5. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , wherein the tool comprises a lug key for engaging a locking wheel lug bolt or wheel lug nut. 
     
     
       6. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , wherein when the cylindrical lock insert is disposed in the socket bore and when the key is disposed in the keyway opening, the plurality of angular tool corners are offset from the plurality of angular pocket corners by an offset angle, and wherein the regular polygon-shaped tool body may not be inserted into the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket of the socket. 
     
     
       7. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , wherein when the cylindrical lock insert is disposed in the socket bore and when the key has passed through the keyway opening, the socket tool may be rotated by an offset angle to provide axial alignment of the plurality of angular tool corners and the plurality of angular pocket corners, and wherein the regular polygon-shaped tool body is configured for insertion into and slidable nested mating engagement within the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket and a seated condition. 
     
     
       8. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 7 , wherein in the seated condition, the key members and keyway opening are angularly offset and the socket tool and lockable socket insert are locked within the socket. 
     
     
       9. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , wherein the regular polygon-shaped tool body and regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket are hexagonal or dodecagonal. 
     
     
       10. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 3 , further comprising a socket drive, the socket drive configured for selective attachment and detachment of the socket by insertion into the drive pocket. 
     
     
       11. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 10 , wherein the socket drive comprises a spindle of a multi-spindle drive machine. 
     
     
       12. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 1 , wherein key members comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced arch shape lobes and the keyway opening comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced arch shape recesses that are configured to receive the arch shape lobes in mating engagement. 
     
     
       13. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced arch shape lobes comprises a number of circumferentially spaced arch shape lobes that are equally spaced from one another, and wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced arch shape recesses comprise a number of circumferentially spaced arch shape recesses that is an integer multiple of the number of circumferentially spaced arch shape lobes. 
     
     
       14. A tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock of  claim 13 , wherein the number of circumferentially spaced arch shape lobes is 3 and the number of circumferentially spaced arch shape recesses is 6. 
     
     
       15. A method of making a tool/lockable socket insert assembly and insert lock, comprising:
 forming a tool/lockable socket insert assembly including a socket insert having an insert axis, a cylindrical tool body comprising a free end, a shaft end, and a tool bore extending inwardly from the free end, and a cylindrical key shaft attached to the shaft end comprising a length, a shaft surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced key members disposed along the length and protruding radially outwardly away from the shaft surface, the cylindrical tool body, tool bore, and cylindrical key shaft concentric about the insert axis, the tool/lockable socket insert assembly also including a socket tool having a regular polygon-shaped tool body and attached to the socket insert; 
 forming a cylindrical insert lock comprising an outer end configured for disposition toward a fastener pocket of a socket, a drive pocket end configured for disposition toward a drive pocket, an outer surface, and a keyway opening; and 
 forming a socket including a regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket structured to receive the socket tool body therein in a slidable nested mating engagement, 
 wherein the socket insert is rotatable so that the key members of the plurality of key members are insertable into the keyway opening, and wherein the socket tool is attached to the socket insert such that the socket tool body is not insertable into the fastener pocket when the key members are rotated so as to be insertable into the keyway opening. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of using a lockable socket insert and insert lock, comprising:
 forming a lockable socket insert comprising an insert axis, a cylindrical tool body comprising a free end, a shaft end, and a tool bore extending inwardly from the free end, and a cylindrical key shaft attached to the shaft end comprising a length, a shaft surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced key members disposed along the length and protruding radially outwardly away from the shaft surface, the cylindrical tool body, tool bore, and cylindrical key shaft concentric about the insert axis; 
 forming a cylindrical insert lock comprising an outer end configured for disposition toward a fastener pocket of a socket, a drive pocket end configured for disposition toward a drive pocket of the socket, an outer surface, and a keyway opening; 
 forming a socket tool comprising a regular polygon-shaped tool body comprising an outward end, an inward end, a plurality of flat tool sides, a corresponding plurality of angular tool corners, and a tool disposed on the outward end, and an attachment shaft disposed on the inward end, the attachment shaft configured for fixed engagement in the tool bore, wherein the regular polygon-shaped tool body is configured for slidable nested mating engagement within the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket; 
 attaching the socket tool to the lockable socket insert by fixing the attachment shaft within the tool bore; 
 disposing the cylindrical insert lock within the socket, the socket comprising a socket axis, a fastener end, a drive end, a regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket having a pocket center disposed on the socket axis and comprising a plurality of flat pocket sides and a corresponding plurality of angular pocket corners extending from the fastener end to a base, and a socket bore that extends from the base to a drive pocket disposed in the drive end, the cylindrical lock insert disposed in the socket bore with the outer surface in an interference condition in the socket bore with the drive pocket end located at a predetermined depth from the base; and 
 inserting socket tool and lockable socket insert into the socket with the cylindrical tool body inserted into the polygonal-shaped fastener pocket and engagement in the socket bore and the cylindrical key shaft and circumferentially spaced key members in slidable mating engagement as a key in and for passage through the keyway opening, wherein when the cylindrical lock insert is disposed in the socket bore and when the key is disposed in the keyway opening, the plurality of angular tool corners of the tool body are offset from the plurality of angular pocket corners of the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket by an offset angle, and wherein the regular polygon-shaped tool body may not be inserted into the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket of the socket. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of using a lockable socket insert and insert lock of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 continuing to insert the key through the keyway opening; and 
 rotating the socket tool by the offset angle to provide axial alignment of the plurality of angular tool corners and the plurality of angular pocket corners; and sliding the regular polygon-shaped tool body into nested mating engagement within the regular polygon-shaped fastener pocket and a seated condition. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of using a lockable socket insert and insert lock of  claim 17 , wherein in the seated condition, the key members and keyway opening are angularly offset and the socket tool and lockable socket insert are locked within the socket. 
     
     
       19. The method of using a lockable socket insert and insert lock of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 inserting the socket onto a socket drive, wherein the socket drive is configured for selective attachment and detachment of the socket by insertion into the drive pocket. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of using a lockable socket insert and insert lock of  claim 17 , wherein the socket drive comprises a spindle of a multi-spindle drive machine.